Well, Blow Me Down

Today is the one-year anniversary of a project that's currently finding its way in the world: Blow Me Down. It relies shamelessly on the artistry and chemistry of Arthur Aviles & Selina Shida Hack, who had never even met before we started our process - 2 days of rehearsal, and 2 of shooting. It was absolutely an experiment - from their collaboration, to the seat-of-our-pants cinematography by Addy Birkes, to the vintage cartoons ripped from the Internet Archive, to the decision to shift to b&w in post-production. Part of the experiment was also to create a relationship between a man and woman that was sexy (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) without being sexual, suggesting intimacy and connection that felt familial, comedic, occasionally even tender. 

For one day - today, November 2 starting at 8:00 pm - you can watch Blow Me Down at WildSOUND, where it won Best Experimental Film.

Blow is also an Official Selection at one of my all-time favorite fests: YoFiFest in Yonkers, NY where it'll screen in a program that includes another of mine: Replica, deserving of its own origin story in a blogpost someday soon.

YoFiFest - Saturday November 15 at noon - info & tix

It's funny. I'd shared an early draft of Blow Me Down with a friend who told me - kindly - that she didn't think it merited completing, making public. And because it took a while to gain acceptance(s), I doubted myself. True, it's no Inter Library Loan, which is more accessible, and has been selected by threes times as many festivals. By the way, Library is due to screen at the 44th Asbury Film Concert in Phoenicia, NY

Asbury in Phoenicia - Saturday November 9 at 2:00 - info & tix

But that doubt always alternates with an absolute certainty that my job is to explore whatever it is I'm drawn to fail at next. Every week I juggle disappointment from rejections for Blow Me Down (over 25 to date) and satisfaction with acceptances - Festival Videodanza de Puerto Rico most recently; 21 more submissions yet to weather. WildSOUND (see above) offers a great service in which they share work with an audience, who record a short feedback video. You can imagine how tickled I was by the enthusiastic response from this smiling face - a stranger who's just opened her eyes to new work.

Of course all of these submissions cost something. I try to ferret out fests that cost less. Bless you to festivals that offer fee waivers for alums; luckily, I am often a repeat offender. Non-US fests often offer a small fee and seem more open to what I do. Although I just did the math, and Blow is half US and half-non. Fees from / online purchases of our 2024 documentary Cathy & Harry, (priced to sell!) help to somewhat offset submission fees. Oh, and by the way, another local screening of Cathy & Harry is coming right up.

Hopper House, Nyack Friday, November 7 @ 5:30 - info & tix

And old work is finding its way too. Part of my festival research is to find ones that don't necessarily prioritize brand new work. So I shared Through Mabel's Eyes, with a festival new to me: Berlin Kiez which screens films in "relaxed and informal settings, inviting local communities to enjoy screenings in alternative spaces." Just my cup of tea, right? 

Mabel was a very ambitious "experiment" (they all are) shot in the fall before the pandemic landed. It's won some awards - for Jon Gourlay's gorgeous cinematography, among others - but I haven't gotten a chance to hear from audiences what they get - and don't. Don't live in Berlin? You can watch Through Mabel's Eyes for yourself here and support my juggling act. Hey, send me a feedback video after and I'll post it here!